Listowel

Listowel is a town in County Kerry, 28 km northeast of Tralee. With a population of 4794 in 2022, it's the largest settlement in the north of the county. Its name in Irish is Lios Tuathail, "Tuathal's ringfort", which presumably lies somewhere beneath its stout Norman castle. Listowel was home to the world's first operational monorail, but is nowadays better known for the several literary figures associated with it.

Ballybunion is its beach resort, also described here.

By road from Dublin take N7 past Limerick onto M20 then N21 through Adare to Rathkeale, then R523.

Expressway Bus 13 runs every 2 hours from Limerick via Adare, Rathkeale, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale to Listowel (90 min) and continues to Tralee (another 40 min). Don't take Bus 14, which branches south at Abbeyfeale for Castleisland, Kerry Airport and Killarney.

Bus Éireann 272 runs Sa Su five times from Tralee to Listowel (40 min) and continues to Ballybunion.

Bus 314 runs 4 times Sa Su from Limerick via Foynes (for Flying Boat Museum) to Listowel (2 hr) and Ballybunion.

52.4447-9.48581 The Square is Listowel's main bus stop. There's also an ESB charging station here.

52.5871-9.35962 Tarbert Pier is the landing point for the Shannon Ferry from Killimer in County Clare on the north bank. It sails hourly Sep-May and every 30 min Jun-Aug. If you're touring the Atlantic coast, this saves a lengthy detour inland through Limerick. Watch for dolphins on the 20-min crossing.

Listowel and Ballybunion are small and walkable, with buses between. You need wheels to see the rest of the district.

The local taxi firm is Fitzpatrick's (+353 87 217 1717).

• Listowel Castle by The Square was an Anglo-Norman redoubt, held by rebels in the Desmond uprising. Two of its four towers stand, connected by an unusual arch. It's open daily 10AM-5PM, free.
• Kerry Writers' Museum (next to the castle). It's open Jun-Aug Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sep-May Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM. This museum celebrates the likes of John B. Keane, Bryan MacMahon, Brendan Kennelly, Maurice Walsh and George Fitzmaurice. The tourist information centre is also here. adult €10, conc €8, child €5. 
• Lartigue Monorail and Museum, John B Keane Road V31 HX00, ☏ +353 68 24393. May-Sep daily 1-4:30PM. The Lartigue system was inspired by camels shifting balanced paniers across the sands of Algeria. The Listowel-Ballybunion line, opened in 1888, was the longest built to this design, and its drawbacks were obvious as soon as a portly passenger shifted in his seat. If you wanted to send a cow to market, you had to balance it with two calves, who could balance each other on the ride back; and level crossings were a mechanical mess. The line was scrapped in 1924 but there's nowadays a museum, and you ride a short reconstructed section, hauled by a diesel got up to look like the original steam-loco-on-a-bicycle. Adult €8, conc €6, child €4. (updated Jul 2026)
• Ballinruddery Castle 2 km east of town is a tumbledown 17th century turret obscured in private woodland and pointless looking for.
• 52.458-9.6621 Ballyduff is a straggling settlement west of Listowel. 1 km south at Rattoo is Kerry's only intact Round Tower, from 10th or 11th century and 28 m tall.

• 52.51-9.6722 Ballybunion (Baile an Bhuinneánaigh) is a seaside resort, with two beaches separated by the castle, the shell of a 16th-century tower-house. "Ladies Beach" is north and "Men's Beach" is south, but no longer segregated by a blue-nosed priesthood. They're exposed to the west and have a surf school. There's accommodation and eating places in the town.
• Bromore Cliffs 2 km north of Ballybunion are over 50 m high, with offshore stacks and whirling sea birds.
• 52.579-9.6073 Beale Strand marks the boundary between the Atlantic and the Shannon. It's a bracing 3-km expanse of mostly sandy beach, backed by sandhills; swimmers beware the currents. At low tide you may see the remains of the brig Thetis, driven ashore in a storm of 1834. The survivors were jailed when their cargo of Quebec timber was found to be concealing contraband tobacco.
• 52.57-9.49414 Carrigafoyle Castle is a ruin in the channel separating Carrick Island, now a muddy creek but suitable for shipping in medieval times. It's a sturdy tower house built in 1490 and held by rebels in the Desmond uprising of 1580. Sir William Pelham besieged it by land and sea, blasted the walls, and put to death all its defenders and occupants. That sent a chilling message to all the other Desmond strongholds, who bolted and thereafter only engaged in guerrilla attacks. The castle was never repaired but later rebels used it, until Cromwell blasted it further. It's open May-Sep daily 10AM-6PM.
• Carrick Island, reached by causeway, has the remains of a 13th-century monastery church and a Napoleonic-era artillery point.
• Lislaughtin Abbey 1.5 km north of Ballylongford was Franciscan, founded in 1470. It was dissolved in 1580 though church and graveyard remained in use for many years after.
• Fort Shannon 4 km west of Tarbert was built in 1942 to guard the estuary against hostile shipping. It's derelict.
• Tarbert is the village 2 km south of the Shannon Ferry pier, on what used to be an island, now occupied by an ugly power station. The lighthouse, built in 1834, is simply a harbour light on a tidal rock with a cast-iron catwalk to shore. Tarbert House midway between pier and village was built from 1690 in Queen Anne style but is seldom open for visits. Tarbert Bridewell, built in 1831, was the local jail and is now a museum. It's open daily 10AM-4PM, adult €5, child €2.50.
• Ardfert Cathedral and other points south of Listowel: see Tralee.

• St John's Theatre and arts centre is on The Square, Box Office +353 68 22566.
• Listowel Races are just south of town across the river, with both flat-racing and National Hunt. Summer Festival is the May/June holiday weekend. The main event is the Harvest Festival in September, with the premier race the Guinness Kerry National.
• Golf: the nearest courses are on the coast at Ballybunion GC, which has the Old Course and the Cashen.
• Writers' Week is in June.
• Listowel Food Fair is in November.

• Garvey's SuperValu is on Convent St, open M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 8AM-9PM.
• Aldi and Lidl supermarkets are on John B Keane Rd, open daily.
• In Ballybunion, the main store is Cahill's Super Valu off Main Street, open daily 8AM-9PM.
• Outdoor gear: the big store is Landers on Manor West Retail Park in Tralee.

• Horseshoe Bar (Behan's), 14 William St, Listowel V31 PW37, ☏ +353 68 21083. Mon-Fri noon-9PM, Sat Sun 10AM-9PM. Trad pub with bar meals and restaurant, they also have rooms. (updated Jul 2026)
• Lynch's is a bakery and coffee shop at the corner of Main St and William St, open Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM.
• Éabha Joan's on Market St is open Th-Su 4-9PM.
• Royal China at 58 William St Upper is open M-Sa 3:30-11PM, Su 2-11PM.
• Christie's on the Square is open Su-Th noon-11:30PM, F Sa noon-12:30AM.
• Allo's Bistro on Church St gets good reviews.
• John R's Food Hall at 70 Church St is a deli and cafe, and has rooms. It's open Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM.
• Ballybunion eating places are Nine Daughters, Namir's, Perozzi, McMunn's plus takeaways.

• Listowel pubs include Shebeen, Kevin Broderick's, Con Dillon's, Jet O'Carroll's, Racecourse Bar, John B Keane, Tankers and New Kingdom Bar.
• Mermaids Nightclub is in William St.
• Ballybunion pubs include Bunker Bar, Railway Bar, JD's Bar, Courtney's, Feale Bar, Mikey Joe's, The Exchange, and Gerald O'Connor.

• Listowel Arms Hotel, The Square, Listowel V31 V962, ☏ +353 68 21500. Smart Georgian hotel by the castle, good food and service. B&B double €200. (updated Jul 2026)
• Listowel B&Bs include Racecourse View, Áras Mhuire and Carriglea.
• Ballybunion accommodation includes The Astor, Harty Costello, Kilcooly's^{[dead link]} (run by the golf club), Cliff House (below) and Tides.
• Cliff House Hotel, Cliff Rd, Ballybunnion V31 E275, ☏ +353 68 27777. Comfy efficient hotel near the north beach. B&B double €200. (updated Jul 2026)

As of July 2026, Listowel town centre has 5G from all Irish carriers, with 4G along the main road N69. Ballybunion has 4G from all but a poor signal along its approach roads.

• Tralee has the county museum. Further southwest is the scenic Dingle peninsula.
• Adare is picturesque but choked with traffic. Continue east to Limerick for a historic lively city.
• Wuppertal in North Rhine-Westphalia has a better wacky monorail, the retro-futuristic Schwebebahn, still in use.